Nill said trade talk is minimal throughout the NHL at this point.
"I always say that you're looking all the time," he said. "If someone calls and there's something that makes us better, you're always going to do that. But what are we, nine games in? There's not a lot going on right now."
There's not a lot going on with the Stars offense either. They are averaging 1.89 goals per game, last in the NHL, despite having proven scorers like Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Alexander Radulov.
Nill said the power play is at the root of the problem. The Stars went 0-for-1 against the Penguins and are 1-for-25 this season; only the Ottawa Senators have scored fewer goals with the man-advantage (0-for-21).
"Our power play has got to get better," Nill said. "We've been in [six] one-goal games the whole way, and the power play has got to score. Your best players have got to do it."
They haven't to this point.
Seguin led the Stars with 80 points (33 goals, 47 assists) last season but has four (two goals, two assists) this season. Radulov, coming off a 72-point season (29 goals, 43 assists), also has four (one goal, three assists). Benn, the Dallas captain, has three points (one goal, two assists) after he had 53 (27 goals, 26 assists) in 2018-19.
The Stars signed Pavelski to a three-year contract July 1 in the hopes that he'd add some extra scoring punch, but he's struggled, with two points (one goal, one assists) in nine games for Dallas after he had 64 (38 goals, 26 assists) for the San Jose Sharks last season.
"It's puzzling," Nill said before disappearing into the coaches' room.